Why Do Introverts Love Being Alone?

People often ask me why I don’t go out more or why I’m not doing x,y or z. I couldn’t verbalise why, not really knowing myself. Then I came across the below article and feel it sums it up perfectly.

At 25 years old I’ve really only just accepted the truth: I am an introvert.

People tire me. I find them hard work, mentally and physically draining and generally boring. I have to pretend I’m interested in their conversational small talk when really I want to sit in happy silence, alone. When someone talks at me I find it physically wearing, not to mention irritating, and yearn for a quiet space where I don’t have to talk or engage. Being alone with your thoughts relaxes me, let’s me process. As the article says, the introvert hangover is real.

I also feel most people wouldn’t cope with my true way of speaking: direct and to the point. I don’t sugar coat – if I don’t like something I’ll say. If I don’t want to do what you’re doing, I’ll say. I’m blunt and unsympathetic. Rarely do I react emotionally in speech and it grates HARD on me when girls go drama. There’s nothing personal in this, I’m not attacking you. But that’s just how it is. Why waste time pussyfooting around when you can say what you mean. A lot of people can’t take that. They’re offended or they don’t understand.

So I have to put on a front. One that is softer and more easily accepted. And that is hard work, taking a lot of energy.

Like most introverts I require very little stimulation to be happy. One person for few hours is enough to keep me going for a few days, then rinse and repeat. What about work? That’s a little different as my attention was on a thing rather than a person. Even then I could spend a couple of hours saying only one or two words and be just as happy. Let’s be clear, were not anti-social or shy (speaking for myself), we just simply don’t need that high level of engagement as an extrovert does. Again a little stimulation goes a long way.

Travelling as I am, I’m starting to find sleeping in dorms draining; repeating the same small talk, asking the same questions, no space for much needed alone time. For the introvert recharging is key, and there’s nowhere in a hostel where you are completely alone. So you become irritable and feeling as though you’re suffering from a lack of sleep.

This article sums it up much better and I hope after reading it people have a little more understanding into the life of an introvert.